Offshore regulator launches investigation into Gjoa gas leak

Norwegian offshore safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has launched an investigation into a hydrocarbon leak on the Gjøa field, located in the North Sea off Norway, on June 21.

Engie E&P, as the operator of the field, shut down the production from the field following the incident on Wednesday. The operator on Thursday revealed a cause of the gas leak but kept the production shut. The leak occurred in a condensate pump.

The PSA noted in a report on Friday that it is unclear how large the leak was but that the condensate did not ignite and no-one was harmed by the incident.

The agency has now decided to investigate this incident with a focus in particular on discovering the underlying causes, both technical and operational, that may have contributed to the incident.

The regulator added that the investigation will result in a report that will be published on its website.

The Gjøa gas field is situated 60 kilometers west of Florø, on the west coast of Norway. Engie has 30% interest in the field and its partners are Shell with 12%, Dea Norge with 8%, Petoro with 30% and Wintershall Norge with the remaining 20% interest.